RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - A missing zebra has been rescued safely in Rutherford County, Tennessee Sunday after days on the loose and after the animal went viral.

The escapee, coined "Zebra Ed" on social media, was found in a pasture near the Buchanan Estates in Christiana, Tennessee, and was airlifted away by helicopter.

According to the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office (RCSO), aviation crews were able to locate and return the animal to its owner on Sunday.

Deputies say they stayed on standby for safety reasons as drivers on the nearby interstate watched Ed scamper across eastbound and westbound lanes on Saturday.

"He became an international sensation through social media memes throughout the country," RCSO said in a post on Facebook .

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